Wheat is an essential crop globally and is a staple in the UK and Western Europe. With a projected population of 10 billion by 2050, the need for sustainable wheat production is urgent. However, the current production of wheat is fragile, and the majority of the world's supply comes from just five countries. Climate change, new diseases, and declining water resources pose significant challenges for farmers, and future increases in production must be achieved without equivalent growth in fertilizer use, which is a significant source of greenhouse gases.

This new, multi-disciplinary programme brings together the complementary skills of four research institutes – the John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, Quadram Institute, and Earlham Institute – the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, and the universities of Leeds, Nottingham, Lancaster, Bristol, and Imperial College London.